Tool for adjusting fuel-injector plungers and valve tappets



D. J. ROSS June 25, 1957 TOOL FOR ADJUSTING FUEL-INJECTOR PLUNGERS AND VALVE TAPPETS Filed Jan. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l JNVENTOR.

DONALD J. Ross ATTORNEYS D. J. ROSS June 25, 1957 TOOL F OR ADJUSTING FUEL-INJECTOR PLUNGERS AND VALVE TAPPETS Filed Jan. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS .IIIIII III lllllllllk n I J I I L I L WINVENTOR.

DO.NALD J- ROSS BY may I. in F) 2 .Pv fi L IIL 9 I III |||II HIH E I Unite States Patent O TOOL FOR ADJUSTING FUEL-INJECTOR PLUNGERS AND VALVE TAPPETS Donald J. Ross, Reno, Nev.

Application January 16, 1956, Serial No. 559,177

Claims. (Cl. 33181) The present invention relates to improvements in a tool for adjusting fuel-injector plungers of diesel engines and valve tappets. It consists of the combinations, constructions, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a tool of the character described, which is adapted to be removably clamped to a rocker arm, whereby a screwdriver that forms part of the tool will be held firmly in position, while adjusting fuel-injector plungers and valve tappets. The unitary tool further includes a disc having a calibrated scale thereon, by means of which the proper clearances for the plungers and tappets may be adjusted, while the tool remains secured to the rocker arm, thereby assuring proper adjustment.

Another object of my invention is to provide a tool by means of which the clearances or gaps of the fuel-injector plungers and valve tappets may be entirely closed, by turning the screwdriver in one direction. The cali brated scale will indicate the amount of turning required to accomplish this result, a pointer being provided on the screwdriver to ride over the scale. The amount of tuming will indicate whether or not the injector or valve requires further servicing.

After each plunger or tappet has been closed, the disc may be rotated so as to bring the zero reading of the scale into registration with the pointer. At this time, the screwdriver may be turned in the opposite direction to set a new clearance for the plunger or tappet, thereby providing uniform adjustments. The disc is frictionally held in any position to which it may be adjusted, thus facilitating the use of the tool.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features will be set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Drawings For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the tool, parts being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the plane IIlI of Figure l, and illustrating the pointer on the screwdriver as being arranged in registration with the zero reading on the calibrated scale;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the vertical plane IIIIII of Figure 4, and disclosing the clamp portion of the tool as removably engaging with a rocker arm;

Figure 4 is a side view of a fragmentary portion of a diesel engine, illustrating my tool as being used for adjusting a fuel-injector plunger;

Figure 5 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2, but after the screwdriver has been turned to close the clearance gap between the rocker arm and the plunger; and

Figure 6 discloses the screwdriver and its pointer as ice occupying the same relative positions as that shown in Figure 5; however, the disc has been turned until the zero reading on the scale registers with the pointer, prior to rotating the screwdriver to set a new gap or clearance for the fuel-injector plunger.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Detailed description Referring to the drawings in detail, I have shown a fragmentary portion of a diesel engine A (see Figure 4) for the purpose of bringing out the objects and advantages of my tool for adjusting fuel-injector plungers and valve tappets, the tool being designated generally at B throughout the several views.

As shown, the engine A is provided with a longitudinally-extending rocker arm shaft 10, which has a plurality of rocker arms C journalled thereon for oscillatory movement. Each rocker arm is provided with an adjusting screw 11 that extends through a threaded bore 12 fashioned in one end of the arm. Such an adjusting screw is ordinarily formed with a ball 14 at the lower end, which is complementarily engaged in a terminal socket 15 of a push rod D. The screw 11 is releasably held in adjusted position by a jam or lock nut 16. Figure 4 shows this nut as being loosened so as to permit the screw to be turned.

Moreover, a conventional fuel injector E has been shown on the opposite side of the rocker shaft 10 from that of the push rod D. This injector includes a vertically-extending injector plunger 17, which has a conical-shaped lower end 18 that normally bears against a seat 19, the latter being fashioned in a cap 20. This cap is secured to the bottom of the injector body 21. When the plunger is raised, fuel will be conveyed from a supply tube 22 for discharge through the orifice 23, which is provided in the cap 20, where the fuel will enter the cylinder.

It will be noted that a finger 24 is formed in the rocker arm C, directly over the injector plunger 17. When the rocker arm is moved in a counter-clockwise direction in Figure 4, the plunger 17 will be seated. However, upon swinging the rocker arm in a clockwise direction, a spring 25 will unseat the plunger, thus allowing an injection of fuel into the cylinder of the engine.

When the screw 11 is properly adjusted, there is a slight clearance or gap, say 7 of an inch, between the end 18 of the plunger 17 and the seat 19, upon swinging the rocker arm C in a clockwise direction. The purpose of my tool 13 is to permit a mechanic to adjust the screw 11 so as to provide the proper amount of clearance.

In its structural features, the tool B includes a clamp F, which defines a transverse top wall 26 having a pair of spaced-apart legs 27 depending therefrom. These legs are resilient and are disposed for being clamped over the flanged portion 28 of the rocker arm. This flange has arcuate ribs 29 projecting laterally from the top thereof. As shown in Figure 3, the legs 27 are shaped for being snapped over the flange 28 and its ribs 29, and thus the clamp F may be firmly anchored to the rocker arm C.

As clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, a tubular sleeve G is anchored to the clamp F to project upwardly therefrom, substantially at right angles to the top wall 26. The latter has an opening 30 fashioned therein through which the lower end of the sleeve extends. The sleeve is provided with an outwardly projecting annular flange 31, which is disposed below the wall 26, this flange constituting a stop to limit upward movement of the sleeve G relative to the clamp F. This sleeve is disposed for being aligned axially with the push rod D, when the clamp is anchored to the rocker arm C.

In Figures 1 and 4, there has been shown a disc H, which .is provided .with a central opening 32 therein, through which the sleeve G extends, the disc being rotatablerela'tive to the sleeve. The upper end of the sleeve has an outwardly projecting annular flange 33 thereon, which is disposed to overlie the disc H. Moreover, a compression spring I encircles the sleeve and it is interposed between the top wall 26 of the clamp and the disc, with this spring frictionally holding the disc up against the upper flange 33.. The sleeve defines a screwdriverreceiving bore 34 extending axially therethrough.

For the purpose of rotating the adjusting screw 11, a screwdriver K has been provided. It has a cylindrical shank 35 that is journalled. in the bore 34 with freedom of turning movement; This shank terminates at its lower end in a screw-engaging meansgwhich, in the present illustration, consists of a wedge-shaped end 36; The latter is adapted to enter a kerf 37 formed in the upper end of the adjusting screw 11, thereby allowing the proper clearance of the rocker arm finger 24 from the fuel-injector plunger 17 to be obtained.

The upper face of the disc H-has been provided with an arcuate scale L, which is calibrated in opposite directions from a zero graduation (see Figures 2, 5 and 6). The lines of calibration radiate from the axis of rotation of the screwdriver shank. This scale has been graduated to indicate thousandths of an inch, for clearance or gap measurements, as determined by the pitch of the threads on the adjusting screw 11.

Furthermore, a clamp 38 has been secured to the shank 35 immediately above the disc H. This clamp may be raised or lowered, depending upon the distance to which the screwdriver shank must project below the clamp F for engagement with the adjusting screw 11. A bolt 39 and wing nut 40 are provided for anchoring the clamp to the shank. As further shown in Figures 1-2 and 46, a pointer 41 is carried by the clamp 38, and the pointer is positioned for riding over the scale L, when the screwdriver is turned in either direction. When not in use, this pointer may be swung up against the shank of the screwdriver. Y

1 In order to impart turning movement to the shank 35, the latter has an operating handle 42 secured thereto by a bolt-43 and wing nut 44. This handle is tubular, and has a slot 45 extending lengthwise thereof in its upper surface, so that the handle may be swung into upright position, as shown by dot-dash lines in Figure l. At this time, the handle will enclose the upper part of the shank Summary of peration Assuming that the tool B is secured by its clamp F to the rocker arm C, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings; that the disc H is disposed so that the pointer 41 will register with the zero reading on the calibrated scale L, asdisclosed in Figure 2; and that the jam or lock nut l'has been loosened; the operation of the tool may be summarized briefly as follows:

Initially, the screwdriver K should be rotated in a clock wise direction, by means of the handle 42, until any gap or clearance between the rocker arm C and the fuel-injector plunger 17 has been closed. By way of example only, Figure shows that the pointer 41 has been advanced tothe graduation on the scale L. Assuming that the gap 'or clearance has been closed at this time, it will be apparent that the screw 11 has been adjusted downwardly by of an inch. This information.

may disclose that excess wear has taken place in the fuelinjector E, and that the latter needs servicing.

As the next step, the disc H should be turned manually about the sleeve G, until the zero reading on the scale registers with the pointer 41, as shown in Figure 6. Assuming that the proper gap or clearance should be of an inch, the handle '42 should be swung counterclockwise in Figure 6, until the pointer registers with the 9 on the left-hand portion of the scale L; that is, the pointer will be disposed on the dot-dash line in this 11 by 7 of an inch. At this time, the nut 16 should be tightened; and, thereafter, the tool may be removed.

It will be appreciated, of course, that the same tool may be utilized for providing the proper clearances for valve tappets. It is a well-known fact that engine valves are operated by rocker arms, and the latter will support the tool in the same manner as described above, when turning their adjusting screws.

I claim:

1. In a tool for adjusting fuel-injector plungers and valve tappets: a clamp defining a pair of spaced-apart legs; these legs being-resilient and positioned to straddle a rocker arm, with the legs clampingly engaging with the rocker arm; a tubular sleeve anchored to the clamp to project upwardly therefrom; a disc rotatably mounted on the sleeve, and being provided with a calibrated scale thereon; means for frictionally retaining the disc in an adjusted position relative to the sleeve; the sleeve having a bore extending axially therethrough; a screwdriver havinga shank journalled in said bore, and terminating at its lower end in a screw-engaging means; an operating handle connected to the shank for turning the latter independently of the disc; and a pointer secured to the shank to move with the latter, and being positioned to ride over the scale on the disc. 7

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1; and in which the scale is calibrated in opposite directions from a Zero graduation.

. 3. in a 'tool for adjusting fuel-injector plungers and valve tappets: a clamp definin a pair of spaced-apart legs; these legs being resilient and positioned to straddle a rocker arm, with the legs clampingly engaging with the rocker arm; a'tubular sleeve anchored to the clamp to project upwardly therefrom; a disc rotatably mounted on the sleeve, and being provided with a calibrated scale thereon; the sleeve having an outwardly-extending annular flange at its upper end overlying the disc; a compression spring interposed between the clamp and the disc for urging the latter into frictional contact with the flange, thereby retaining the disc in an adjusted position relative to the sleeve; the sleeve having a bore extending axially therethrough; a screwdriver having a shank journalled in said bore, and terminating at its lower end in a screw-engaging means; an operating handle connected to the shank for turning the latter independently of the disc; and a pointer secured to the shank to move with the latter, and being positioned to ride over the scale on the disc.

4. In a tool for adjusting fuel-injector plungers and valve tappets: a clamp defining a transverse top wall having a pair of spaced-apart legs depending therefrom; these legs being resilient and positioned to straddle a rocker arm, with the legs 'clampingly engaging with the rocker arm; a tubular sleeve having a lower end anchored to the transverse wall of the clamp, and the sleeve projecting upwardly from said wall at substantially right angles relative thereto; a disc provided with a central opening therein through which the sleeve extends, with the disc being rotatable relative to the sleeve; the upper end of the 'sleevehavi'ng an annular flange projecting outwardly therefrom to overlie the disc; a compression spring encircling the sleeve, and being interposed between said top wall of the clamp and the disc, with the spring frictionally holding the disc up against the flange; the

disc having a calibrated scale thereon; the tubular sleeve defining a bore extending axially therethrough; a screwdriver having a shank journalled in said bore, and terminating at its lower end with a screw-engaging means; the shank projecting above the disc, and being provided with an operating handle for rotating the shank; and a pointer secured to the shank to move with the latter, and being positioned to ride over the scale on the disc.

5. In a tool for adjusting fuel-injector plungers and valve tappets: a clamp defining a transverse top wall having a pair of spaced-apart resilient legs adapted to clampingly engage with a rocker arm; said wall having an opening fashioned therein; a tubular sleeve having a lower end extending through said opening, and having an outwardly projecting flange disposed below said wall; said flange constituting a stop to limit upward movement of the sleeve relative to the clamp; a disc disposed above the clamp and being provided with a central opening therein through which the sleeve extends, with the disc being rotatable relative to the sleeve; the upper end of the sleeve having an annular flange projecting outwardly therefrom to overlie the disc; and a compression spring References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,471,746 Hilbert May 31, 1949 2,474,294 Weeks June 28, 1949 2,521,966 Clayborne Sept. 12, 1950 

